Iran-Israel 'war' hits Goa film festival

Iranian filmmaker Tahmineh Milani withdraws from the jury of the ongoing 42nd International Film Festival of India (IFFI) after appointment of Israeli director Dan Wolman.

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Dipanjan Roy Chaudhary

New Delhi

December 2, 2011

UPDATED: December 2, 2011 12:41 IST

Iranian filmmaker Tahmineh Milani may have withdrawn from the jury of the ongoing 42nd International Film Festival of India (IFFI) at Goa after Israeli director Dan Wolman was appointed to the jury but not before taking a dig at the voices in her country who had opposed her presence amid her Israeli colleague.

Sentiments run high in Iran against Israel and this has intensified amid Tel Aviv's vehement opposition to Tehran's nuclear weapons. And it appears even the world of arts and films are not spared as evident from Milani's decision. In a letter to Iran's Fars News Agency earlier this week Milani explained: "Any committed individual disapproves of Israel's oppression of Palestinians and there is no doubt over my sympathy for the people of Palestine".

Milani was among the five-member jury of IFFI, which began on November 23. IFFI organisers though claimed that Milani has not refused to take duties of jury member.

In her letter she critcised Israeli action. She also did not spare Iranians who opposed her presence in the jury because of the nationality of a fellow jury member.

"When I received the list of the jury members, I accepted the invitation. Names of Lee Yong Kwan from Korea and Danish filmmaker Susanne Bier encouraged me the most to attend the programme to become more closely familiar with the opinions of these famous filmmakers," Milani wrote in her letter.

This was not the first time Milani has come under pressure from Iranian authorities. She was imprisoned in 2001 for her film Nimeh- e Pinhan , which revolved around a leftist university student against Iran's Shah regime. The film's love story also drew criticism, for its depiction of the protagonist's relationship with an elderly man. She was released two weeks after her arrest following pressure from internationally acclaimed directors including Francis Ford Coppola.